ASHLEY HARPER COTTRELL

Ashley Harper Cottrell returned to the mid-Atlantic region in 2009 to intern with her dream organization- a Sports Commission- to fulfill her senior level internship to graduate college. Her major project for that internship was to help develop, design and launch the Maryland Office of Sports Marketing’s website- MarylandSports.us.

After completing her internship, Cottrell was retained by Maryland Sports full-time, a newly created position, to maintain the website and become a go-to member of the working committee for the Baltimore, Maryland/USA Destination bid for the 2018/2022 FIFA World Cup.  She was instrumental in developing the official bid document that was presented to the US Bid Committee in July 2009.

Cottrell is now the Project Manager for Maryland Sports operations. Her main duties are managing all interactive, digital and print aspects of Maryland Sports’ portfolio; bid development and event recruitment and/or retention; and overseeing the TEAM Maryland initiative. Maryland Sports is also a division of the Maryland Stadium Authority, and as such, Cottrell full-fills the role of Creative and Web Manager for MSA.

Cottrell is a 2018 Connect Sports Game Changer (more) and 2018 Maryland Daily Record Leading Women honoree. 

Cottrell is a graduate of Georgia Southern University with a B.S. in Sports Management, Concentration in Marketing and Minor in Business, a Digital and Graphic Design certificate from Parsons School of Design/The New School and is accredited as a Certified Sports Event Executive (CSEE) from Sports ETA – formerly National Association of Sports Commissions (NASC).  In addition, Cottrell holds the Certified Tourism Network’s accredited of Certified Tourism Ambassador (CTA).